US Juniors Show Off Progress at Concord Junior World-Duals

G’Angelo Hancock displayed the kind of eye-opening ability that earned him a spot on the Senior National Team and Patrick Ramirez took another step in building towards the summer. Both Hancock and Ramirez were among the winners at this weekend’s Concord Junior World-Duals held at the Community Youth Center in Concord, California. The event, which coincided with the launch of the US Greco Olympic team’s training for the Rio Games, featured a collection of US Junior wrestlers as well as international competition. Sweden and Hungary were two of the countries represented at the meet. In addition, a team of Swedish and Hungarian wrestlers also helped comprise two Scandinavian squads, as Norway only sent a small collection of competitors.

Although the meet was more about development through competition and co-opted training, scores were kept and the wrestlers went after it. The dual format pitted teams against each other in a series of rounds with the team holding the best record at the end declared the winner. The Scandinavian contingent captured the championship at the Concord Junior World-Duals, defeating USA/CYC, Idaho/Utah, California/CYC, and Hungary, with the squad’s only loss coming to Kansas in the seventh and final round on Sunday. Both the USA/CYC and Hungarian teams went 4-2 with Kansas going 3-3.

As for individual USA Greco Roman performances, several up-and-coming athletes showed why the country’s program is continuously on the rise. The NMU crew, in particular, posted strong showings with Randon Miranda (56 kg) and the entertaining Jamal DeArmond (70 kg) both winning their respective weight classes. Hometown hero Peyton Omania didn’t waste the chance to impose his will, either. Competing at 66 kg, Omania went the distance to take first, with fellow Californian Jordan Jimenez earning third place honors at 74 kg.

G’Angelo Hancock did what he does best throughout the meet, which is use his ever-growing arsenal to attack positions, wherever they may be. And as has become custom in his travels, Hancock managed to land a picturesque throw or two to punctuate his work. Ramirez, for his part, fought through considerable opposition at 59 kg in a more calculated fashion while still showcasing his trademark aggression on par terre offense. Simply put, when Ramirez wants to score, he is hard to stop. Note: Miranda, DeArmond, and Hancock will also be representing the United States at the UWW Junior World Championships later this summer in Macon, France.

Event photos courtesy of US National Team Head Coach Matt LindlandFeatured image: John Sachs/Tech-Fall.com